Advent, for Christians, is a season on the church calendar filled with traditions meant to prepare our hearts for the celebration of the coming of Jesus.
Advent, for many of the world’s cultures, is a season of bright decorations, selling and buying of gifts, and perhaps family gatherings–or the stresses of family gatherings as the case may be.
Most of this is done year after year. With busy-ness. With stress. With tradition without a thought about the meaning and development of those traditions.
I thought I’d spend a few sessions contemplating bringing mindfulness to the season.
Perhaps one at a time, we’ll explore the seven things mindful people do:
- Practice being curious
- Forgive themselves
- Hold their emotions lightly
- Practice compassion
- Make peace with imperfection
- Embrace vulnerability
- Understand all things come and go
Mindfulness requires a pause. We must pause what we are busy with, with our busy hands, our busy minds. Taking slow, easy breaths. We can lay, sit, stand, even walk mindfully. We gently bring our wandering minds back when we notice we’ve gone off. That’s OK. It’s the bringing back to awareness that is mindful.
Dwelling on Advent and Christmas in a pandemic with its loss of close family connections can add to stress. It is best to focus on the present moment and what we can do today with intention.
Faith Venture 
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